Sunday, March 20, 2016

The Rocky Knoll


Saturday February 20, 2016 The fresh cool morning air in the forest was delightful and the area around me was beautiful.   The monkey’s played in the trees and even ran toward me and then with a quick jump one was on the roof!  It was obvious that I was in their habitat and it was without limitations and boundaries!  A couple little ones climbed to the top of the water tank and it appeared as though they had been before.  It became a playground of sorts as they chased each other up and down and round and round.

The air in rain forest is cool and crisp but as we travel closer to the project the cool air is left behind and the sun intensifies.  While I’m here Jaffrey has been assigned to be my bike driver and he loves to talk as he drives.  This morning there was excitement in his voice and he could hardly wait to share.  “You must be in touch!”  “You are like a prophet!”   Last night, when we left the church, I asked the men if they would return in the morning if it rained.  They assured me they would.  It wasn’t a hard commitment to make as the sun was out, it wasn’t rainy season and rain wasn’t in the forecast.  The ground was so dry you could taste it.  As we were riding back to the forest the sky above us started to darken.  I entered my room and the rains came.  Jaffrey said he had to rush back to his house to avoid the “rain that came so fast.”  It is a common belief that if a visitor brings rain they carry a blessing from God for the people.

The children were not in school today but people stopped to visit as we worked on the church.  Several were pastor friends that had heard about the building project and they came to share in the excitement.  One of the village elders came and voiced his approval and appreciation.  He carried the rod of a chief in his hand.  This rod is noted and everyone knows that if a man carries this rod he is to be respected.  There also was a thin older man that came and stood in front of me. He introduced himself as the “first and last prophet.”  It was a sure sign that the village had been named properly.  Lukhumbi means “mixed up people.” 

There was much supervision needed as the iron sheets went up but the workers had an attitude to please and the work went forward.  It was a difficult lot to work with and the challenges were many as boulder after boulder poked it's way through the ground.   

When we thought we had finally conquered the task we would hit a small hard surface which turned into a mountain. We hired rock chippers that worked all day on the rocks that were in our way.  Eugene, a boy from the neighborhood, and a few of his friends helped carry the small pieces of rock out of the church.   

We hired men to roll some of the boulders out of the church and the little guys were there to help too! There were so many rocks I even made a suggestion to the pastor that he change the name of his church to The Church on the Rock.

The trees near the busy village road offered us a rest from the sun. People were coming and going steady.  Little girls carried heavy containers of water on their head, a cow or two wandered through and grazed a little here and there along the way.  But almost directly opposite the church on the other side of road and behind a row of bushes there was a low rumble of voices, unclear, but they got increasingly louder as the hours passed. The church was being built in the middle of an illicit home brew area where people gathered frequently to buy and drink together.  As voices escalated the madness rolled out into the road way as two men confronted each other.  The pastor intervened and prevented bloodshed.  My heart ached as I thought of these little ones without food, without care, without a good example and the horrors of home life that waited for them.

The distance brought another sound to my ears.  Drums were beating and voices joined together in a celebrating kind of way.  Soon the small village road beside us was filled with people singing and beating their drums as they ran past us.  Branches were waved in the air in a frenzy type of way.  They were focused, fired up as they ran toward the bull fight.

At the close of day we could see a church in the making.  There were now three walls that would become the setting for tomorrow’s morning service.  It was a new beginning in a very needy area.

The intensity of the sun has a way of zapping the life out of me and I’m always glad to feel the change in the air as we enter the forest.  My bike driver, Jaffrey, thinks it is too cold but to me it feels more like home.  As we crossed over the defined but invisible line that takes us from one high temperature to a lower one Jaffrey announced; “We are in America now!”

Sunday February 21, 2016 Today I carried a change of clothes in my back pack as there were 6 people waiting to be baptized.  Arrangements had been made to use the outside cement baptismal of another church not too far away. This would be a bit safer and I didn’t need to worry about snakes or other critters that might be lurking around the river.   I checked and double checked to make sure I had everything needed when I received the message that we would not be having a baptism. 

As we rode toward the church my bike driver, Jaffrey, began to explain it all out to me.  I was aware that the spirit of jealousy worked overtime in this land but as Jaffrey talked I understood even more of the jealousy and discord between the pastors.  It was another pastor’s paid job to fill the baptismal tank and he refused to do it.  He even went a bit further and stated that he would fight to his death to see the church fail. 

The area is full of witchcraft and the people are truly a “mixed up people.”  They need Jesus in a desperate way.

The adults gathered for the early service inside the church while the children and I had Sunday school on the rocky knoll.  Their eyes were glued to me as I taught them “This Little Light of Mine” and they got ever so quiet as we talked about Daniel in the lion’s den.  Lions are feared here and stories are passed from generation to generation of the horror that such an animal can bring. 

“Joy Linda” is soon placed in my arms. She is dressed in her Sunday best with ruffles of red and white. She is not the only Joy Linda and before the day is over I will meet the other little baby girl as well.
                                                    

Our plans changed but Jesus doesn’t and the service started with prayer and the songs of praise rolled out through the open wall filling the troubled land around us with a new song!  Those nearby saturating themselves with home brew heard something new today.  May they hunger, taste and see how good God is.
 Despite the disappointment of forgoing the baptism it was a very special day.  There was much to thank the Lord for.  Six people accepted the Lord Jesus into their heart and it was an honor to dedicate precious little “Joy Linda.”   
                                                        
                                                                
New Testaments were given out to all of the adults and to the children who knew how to read.  The men were given ties and the women received little handmade cloth money pouches.  We made sure everyone went home with a gift even the little ones.  They were given slippers made by my mom, Charlotte Towne, which will help keep their feet warm during the rains.  Old and young alike will talk about this day for a long time!

                                                               
These tokens of love might seem small but to those living in the village it is gigantic. Village life doesn’t offer the means to get medical care buy shoes, school uniforms or give gifts. Celebrating birthdays and the giving of Christmas gifts are foreign to those living in Lukhumb

Some people didn’t have plans to attend church today but they found themselves stopping in the midst of their journey to listen from a far. One was a young Muslim mother who lingered so that she could talk with the pastor after the service. As she spoke she shared of her desire to start coming to the church.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.



Monday, March 14, 2016

Mixed Up People


Thursday February 18, 2016   The sun was shining bright and my suitcase was packed and sitting outside as I waited for the arrival of my ride to Shinyalu.  We were supposed to leave early but according to African time we left right on time even though it was almost two hours later than planned.  My driver assured me his tires were good and that his spare was in the boot.  Experience makes me check and double check some of these things before we take off for a 3 hour trip south of here.  His happy go lucky personality assures me that things are in order but I still had one more thing to ask him.  Did he have his license with him?  Even after he heard how a friend had been arrested yesterday because she was not carrying her license he showed no concern.  In fact it was the opposite and with a jolly laugh he replied “Oh yes, Mama Linda I have it, no worries.” Police checks are common and spike strips or tire shredders tend to make someone think twice before they try to ride through a check point.  It is very important to travel with the necessary documents.

My list of things had been addressed and checked off one by one.  I’m feeling little concern as I’ve been assured that things are in order and we are off.   My driver, Moses, takes a little side road and tells me he just needs to stop home for a minute.  No problem.  We pull up to the gate and it swings open wide and someone passes Moses his driver’s license.   Next the “boot” pops open and there is some commotion at the back of the car.  I asked if we had a problem and I was told “no problem Mama, I’m just putting in the spare.”   I was so glad we had a brief question and answer period before leaving this morning :)   Past trips with Moses have proven to  be full of adventure; a couple flat tires and no spare, running out of gas and then of course the everyday car trouble because of lack of funds for maintenance.

We travel through an area where sugar cane is grown and this tall slender grass turns the land into a sea of green. The mountain ranges running beside us frame it in and the beauty seems to go on forever.  Tractors full of sugar cane are overloaded and bulging on each side. Fires can be seen in the distance as the fields are burning in preparation for the next planting season and billows of smoke roll up into the sky.
 
Little market areas are busy selling their goods and the sheep, goats and donkeys mingle with the people walking the road.  As simple and relaxed as life looks around us we are reminded of the “live for the day” attitude that reigns among the risk taking drivers traveling at high speeds. 

We leave the tarmac roads and head toward the village of Shinyalu-Lukhumbi, which means the place of mixed up people.  Dust rolls into the car and the need to roll up the windows is a must.  It then becomes a balancing act of having enough air flow in the car or traveling in a cloud of dust.   

As we get closer the surroundings become familiar and my visits from previous trips are recalled.   


It’s been a long hot trip and the closer to the village we get the heat intensifies as Lake Victoria is not far away. We are about twenty minutes away from our destination when the car starts to slow down. Moses is known to shut off the ignition going down a hill to save on fuel but this time something is wrong. The car is overheating and he isn’t carrying any water with him.  Within a few minutes we have someone who is willing to run and get us a jerry can full of water.  It seems that the car had been in the repair shop and without asking if it had been repaired Moses picked it up so that he could carry me to Shinyalu this morning.  We both came to the conclusion that they probably hadn’t had the time to repair it and perhaps next time he should check with the mechanic before taking the car.

The pastor was notified that we were once again on our way and met us at the junction.There were some definite changes taking place in the village center. New buildings were under construction and lots of motorbikes waiting for someone to carry.

A short distance from the center and after traveling through some very large pot holes we finally arrived at the plot of land for the new church. This rocky knoll overlooks the valley below and is full of boulders that will need to be moved.   

About 70 children in their lime green uniforms and looking in need of some TLC were in the middle of their school day.  They were surrounded by mud walls with only a glimpse of light peeking through a few holes here and there.  Windows for light and ventilation were missing and many of the children were ill and coughing.  It was a very humble start at trying to give the children something that hasn’t been offered them in other places as the school fees are too high for the people living here in Lukhumbi.

After getting settled in my room, a change of clothes and something to eat I was ready to go back to the project site.  Once we left the forest the 9 kilometer ride on the back to the motorbike was hot and dusty and the potholes were big enough to send me bouncing up in the air with the hopes that I’d land in the middle of the seat when I came down. 

Tea is a major crop in Kenya and it is sold around the world. The tea fields look fresh and carry their own shade of green.  Large baskets which will be carried on the harvesters back will be full of the tender top three leaves of each plant and placed out to dry.

The children still in class leave the mud walled room and resume their studies outside under the trees and the mud walls come down. Today is the last day they will have to sit in a dark room without ventilation.  Breathing the dust from the floor and the walls can cause serious health issues.


The pastor’s wife has worked hard to prepare a meal but before we enter their home we make a stop along the way.  One of the older men in the village has some health issues and we want to show our respect with a visit and pray for him. We travel through a grassy field where people often gather for bull fights. They come prepared for bloodshed and their bodies become a human fence as they form a circle around the open space. When I was asked if I wanted to go and watch....I politely declined.


Friday February 19, 2016  The sounds of the forest wake me and the trees are alive with blue monkeys playing in the trees around me.   There is a rustle and then a leap of ease before landing in a tree nearby.  They study me as I study them and it appears that I am the intruder in their world.
During an early morning walk in the rain forest I take a few minutes just to stand in awe of the beauty around me.   

The trees are huge and they reach for sky. There are flowering vines tangled throughout the forest. A pond bubbles with fish and the rich and thick plant life rich flourish from the water beneath it.   

 
The forest lacks the noises of human life and explodes with chatter from the Colobus monkeys.  They are as excited to see me as I am to see them!  I stand still and try to absorb all that is around me. The Lord has filled my heart with his beauty.

The day quickly changes and the forest is left behind us.  The air warms around me and the sun continues to beat down without shame.  Supplies have been delivered and the children are outside as hammers pound away.   



It’s time to put up some iron sheets and we use the back wall of the church as the learning wall.  It is quickly noted that a level might be a good idea.  The carpenter is delighted to have such a gift and amazed that a woman knows how to use it!  Where did I get such knowledge was a question asked by not one man but several. And they let me know that it was very uncommon for a woman such as me to have such knowledge.

The children sat outside under the shade trees for class although I think it was very hard for them to concentrate with a white woman close by.  As we gathered together my eyes feel on a little girl that showed no signs of happiness.  Her eyes were dull and she didn’t care to run and play with the others.  There was also another girl with a rash all over the back of her neck and down her back.  We sent these two children to the clinic the other children were sent to the center for haircuts.



Gifts were given to each of the children and it brought big smiles.  Lime green t shirts to match their school uniform were designed and printed by our son, Cole. 

 
The little guys were given slippers that my mom, Charlotte Towne, faithfully knits for each trip. The children were ecstatic and for most the t shirts and slippers were the first gifts they had ever received. They cried when they were sent home from school as they didn’t want to leave. They will never forget today! 
At the end of the day the rain forest brings relief from the intense heat felt outside the forest.  The tall towering trees surround us and are tangled with thick vines.  The noises of the forest bring it to life and the monkeys move the branches like a heavy wind.  It is a land preserved and to be enjoyed; it is the only rain forest left in Kenya.

 Isaiah 54:2 Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.